Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Yes! Finally I have been to somewhere touristy! The next destination would be the Peranakan Mansion. Hmm, I wonder when I will have the determination to go. If it were not for friends, I think Penang War Museum will be the last place that I will visit because it is so far away!

All of a sudden, my cold seemed to get better when I was out having fun. Thank God for giving me strength in times like this!

So the adventure began at approximately 9:00am on a clear Sunday morning, 12 August 2012 to Batu Maung. The fares cost me a bomb! RM4 to go to Batu Maung from KOMTAR. Two and fro would already be RM8! That excluded the fare back to Feringgi. Add another 50 cents to the total of fares and I would be able to purchase a ticket back to Ipoh. Oh well, it's way cheaper than driving to the site though.

The journey took almost two hours from Feringgi to Batu Maung (inclusive of the time we waited for bus). After an arduous journey on the bus, we had to hike uphill to the museum for another 500 metres which felt like 500km under the afternoon sun which was fortunately filtered by the shrubs and trees along the way.

This was the sight to behold. The mark of the start of our adventure!

Let's begin the journey to take a step into the past.

I was a little apprehensive before entering the museum because I did not know what to expect. RM20 per entry so it better be good. I mean, better be good in the supernatural department.

I did not know what I expected to see or hear then. Probably some shadows and sounds of screaming from the living quarters of the soldiers? I really had no idea.

It was reopened in 2002.

A soldier greeted us when we entered.

Lest we forget the brave and gallant soldiers who fought for our country, look at this. A memorial stone is erected to commemorate them. Did you see the figure in multi-coloured outfit? That was not a ghost. It was me. Hehehe!!!

Please be prepared before scrolling down to the next picture because there is something real in it that you will soon find out.

A brief description about the photo: The location is just opposite the memorial stone and right behind it, a banner with a figure that looked like a Grim Reaper chopping the head of someone is hung in full view with Japanese words "Sayonara" (which means good bye in English) written on the painting. Gruesome.

Oh yes, the human skull is real if you are wondering.

Entertainment is essential and pivotal to the survival of humans even in times of war.

Here's the proof. They played the piano till the keys were peeling off.

These are snapped from the barracks of the British soldiers.

They were drinkers too.

I didn't snap many photos so the photos that you are seeing here are just random shots taken whenever I felt like it.

During the Japanese Occupation.

One of the original bicycles the Japanese soldiers used to invade into Kota Bahru in December 1941.

Wanna take a ride home?

I have no idea what this was.

This picture was snapped from one of the torture chambers. I don't see how torturing it was but there was one room where a mannequin with long hair covering the face stood in the room. That was torture for me.

A huge snake outside the torture chambers (if I am not mistaken).

The next photo is also quite shocking so brace yourself before scrolling down.

The boards hanging on the wall were used to chop off the heads of the Japanese soldiers when the British returned. That is literally putting your head on the chopping board. I actually touched one of them without knowing the purpose of the boards in other chambers.

*shudders*

This tunnel leads to a few rooms used for discussions on strategies. Rumour has it that the light will automatically turn off at random so visitors, remember to keep your flashlights on all the time while passing through the tunnel.

We spent approximately one and a half hours in there and after visiting the museum, I felt thankful that I was not born during the World War II era.

I guess I shall stop writing now and hope this post does not scare some of you till you can't sleep at night. There is no escape from haunted places because every place has its own past and there is no way you can change that. :o)

Next up: Wait for it.... I might go eccentric and post up something interesting again.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

It is a surprise, isn't it? After disappearing for more than two months, I am finally back here to pen down something. I can be a little eccentric and do the impossible -yes, I call posting an entry in my blog impossible because it feels like a chore most of the time - when I am sick.. Well, not that sick. Probably I should call it less healthy. :P

The period from the last post I wrote till a few days ago, I was still very much myself. By saying that, I mean I was as healthy as I could be. How I wish I could answer, "I am fit as a fiddle!" whenever anyone asks me how I am. All I could say was, "I (let out a Super Cough) am (another long stretch of Super Coughs) FINE!" Notice how I capitalised the last word because that is exactly how I desperately form a sentence now from my mouth. The sentence would rise in a crescendo and ends with the last word ending up as a shout, most of the time. Sorry if some of you who have spoken to me experienced my reply in this manner. I absolutely did not mean to be rude or being deaf. It is just how the cold is taking away my good manners.

I remember the last time I had a bad cold was the beginning of last year when I first started my industrial training. How time flies! Weird thing though. I seldom get sick when I was in Ipoh but here, I have been struck by the cold virus for three times! I hope third time's the charm and this will be the last of it. No more cold for me. Okay, I will allow you (Mr. Cold) to visit me for a maximum of 24 hours and after that duration is over, you have to be gone!

On an unrelated note, sort of related I guess, because I feel a little stressed out due to my current sickness as there are so much to follow up at work at the moment since my dear colleague is going to leave for another department starting from next week. So it means, I have to be versatile enough to do jobs for two people. Not to mention some of her tasks are quite different from what I have been doing so I just have to get used to it.

Tuesday will be the only day for me to do handover with her. Hope we do not leave out anything important!

Counting down to Raya as I will be back home eating all the wonderful delicacies again so Super Cough, I warn you not to ruin my festive mood! Be gone by then!

Signing off with another blast of SUPER COUGHS.

*cough cough cough*

UGH.

Before I forget, please like www.facebook.com/rasasayangresort if you haven't because we have great promotions to offer and it will be quite a waste for you to miss it.